Festivities for MAOT Pageant begin todayFor the first time in the 17-year history of the Miss Arkansas’ Outstanding Teen Pageant, 35 girls from around the state will travel to Russellville to take part in the 2014 edition of the pageant. For the next five days, contestants will participate in a number of events leading up to the ultimate goal: the 2014 Miss Arkansas Outstanding Teen crown. As the 35 teens arrive in Russellville today, each will register before heading downtown to pr...

RMS showcases student art workRussellville Middle School (RMS) seventh-grade art students showcased their work during the annual art show at The Center For The Arts. During the art show, students were able to show off different pieces they had been working on throughout the school year. Not only were the students’ pieces on display, but many students were able to sell their works to local community members. Students also turned some of their art pieces into coloring books ...

Bond Hearings (June 9, 2014)The following individual appeared in felony bond hearings Monday at the Pope County Detention Center. Her name, age, anticipated charge and bond amount is listed below. If charged, she will appear July 7 in Circuit Court. • Barbara Simmermaker, 44, filing a false report with law enforcement — $5,000. On May 10, Simmermaker told officers with the Pope County Sheriff’s Office (PCSO) her husband had broken through a back door and choked her, acco...

News Briefs (June 10, 2014)Leadership Russellville graduation The Leadership Russellville class of 2013-14 will be celebrating its graduation from noon to 1 p.m. Friday, June 20 during a luncheon at Lake Point Conference Center event center dining room. Tickets are available and all Chamber members and their employees are welcome to attend. Seating is limited and reservations are required. For more information, call (479) 968-2530. Aquatic Conservation Experience Camp L...

Runoff elections decided todayEditor's note: All numbers are according to official election results available on the Secretary of State's website. Visit www.sos.arkansas.gov to view all results. It's Election Day, and the race for Pope County Circuit Clerk and the GOP nomination for attorney general will be decided today. Republicans Gina Skelton and Diane Willcutt emerged as the top two vote getters for Pope County Circuit Clerk during the May 20 primary, sending them to ...

RHS, RJHS soar in national competitionsRussellville High School (RHS) and Russellville Junior High School (RJHS) students excelled in national competitions before the end of the 2013-14 school year. RHS Spanish classes received outstanding scores on the National Spanish Exam, which is an online standardized assessment that measures proficiency of students studying Spanish. The National Spanish Exam is one of the most widely used tests of Spanish in the United States. RHS students w...

Community reaches out during local tragedyA Spirit Night for Daniel and Brandon will be held on Tuesday, June 10 at Chick-Fil-A by the Center Valley Church of God to help Hector Wildcats football players Daniel and Brandon Lott, who recently lost both their parents. The event was put together by Brooke White and Christie Proctor to help the brothers pay for funeral expenses and to help pay for college. “Since it’s such a small town, when stuff like this happens, the community gets tog...

Cranors retire after combined 75 yearsWhen elementary students at the Russellville School District (RSD) return to their classrooms this fall, two teachers will be absent — for the first time in 22 years. Christy and Finley Cranor have been staples at RSD for a combined total of 44 years, though their teaching careers span 75 years combined. Christy will retire after a 37-year career, while Finley will retire after a 38-year career. Their record at RSD began when Finley was hired ...

Clark family named Pope Co. Farm Family of YearPOTTSVILLE — In an out-of-the-way corner of Crow Mountain near Pottsville sits a farm of 450-plus acres. If you asked Randy Clark and his family, they would say the farm is just an average family farm. They would show you their garden where they grow uncountable forms of fruits and vegetables, their pastures dotted with roaming herds of cattle and their large reserves of bailed hay, yet they will humbly reference themselves as living on their ...

News Briefs (June 8, 2014)Engineering camp for junior high students The Arkansas Tech University College of Applied Sciences will host an engineering camp this summer for students entering eighth or ninth grade from 8 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. July 7-11 in Corley Hall. Enrollment is limited to 25 participants. Applicants should have strong computer skills and have an interest in a technical career that could include engineering. Cost for the camp is $250, which covers the cost...

RSD luncheon honors district support staffThe Russellville School District showed its appreciation of its support staff during Friday’s classified staff luncheon at the Russellville High School cafeteria, where non-teaching school district employees were recognized and provided a catfish meal. Ashley Snellenberger, district communications coordinator, said the luncheon marks the district’s first official recognition ceremony for its classified staff. “This is for all of our custodian,...

Blackwell announced as new forest supervisorThe U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) has named Reggie Blackwell as the new forest supervisor of the Ozark-St. Francis National Forests. Blackwell, who has 39 years experience with the USDA, will supervise approximately 200 employees of the 1.2-million-acre Ozark National Forest and 23,000-acre St. Francis National Forest. “I feel extremely honored to be selected as the forest supervisor for the Ozark-St.Francis National Forests,” Blackwel...

PHS students recognized for literacy exam scoresPOTTSVILLE—Pottsville High School juniors have received an A+ from teachers and administrators regarding a recent standardized exam. The 11th-graders recently received word they scored 84 percent proficient or advanced on the Grade 11 Literacy Exam. More impressive, Pottsville Superintendent Larry Dugger said, is that none of the students scored below basic, meaning the other 16 percent scored basic on the exam. PHS Principal Jonathan Bradley ...

806 early voters for runoffThe Pope County Election Commission reported 806 voters turned out in the first week of early voting for the June 10 runoff. Only two races are on the ballot in Pope County — the circuit clerk race between Gina Skelton and Diane Willcutt and the attorney general race between Republicans Leslie Rutledge and David Sterling. In the May 20 primary, Skelton received 1,768 votes (28.96 percent) and Willcutt received 1,751 (28.68 percent) for Pope Co...

PJHS Betas head to national conventionPOTTSVILLE — The Pottsville Junior High School (PJHS) Beta Club will travel to Richmond, Va., later this month to compete at the National Junior Beta Convention. The school, along with the Norfork and Booneville school districts, will travel via chartered bus to the Richmond Convention Center on June 20 and return home June 26. When not competing at the convention, PJHS Betas will also visit nearby historical sites such as the Edgar Allen Poe ...

News Briefs (Jun. 7, 2014)Russellville summer feeding program The Russellville School District will conduct a summer feeding program and provide breakfast and lunch at Crawford Elementary and Russellville Jr. High beginning Monday through June 27. Contact Russellville School District Child Nutrition for details at (479) 498-8836. Miss Arkansas' Outstanding Teen Help welcome 35 of Arkansas' most outstanding teens as they participate in a kickoff parade at 4:30 p.m. Tues...

Russellville teen reported missingRebecca "Becky" Upton, 16, of Russellville was reported missing by her mother, Candy Wolf, on Monday. Wolf described her daughter as 5 feet 3 inches, weighing about 135 pounds with dark blond hair and hazel eyes. Upton was last seen around 9:30 p.m. Sunday near East 19th Street and South El Paso Avenue as she was walking to stay the night with a friend who lived on her street. Wolf said she sent a text message to Upton's friend when her daught...